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The Babylonian exile and the revitalization of a people

Moss, Karen Sue
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1407406472

Abstract Details

2000, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Comparative Studies.
The enslavement of the Hebrews and their subsequent "exodus" from Egypt, together, are deemed the defining experience of the Judaean people. Yet, another significant catastrophe in the history of the Jewish people occurred in the sixth century B.C.E.: the exile of a material portion of the Judaean population and all of its leadership to Babylonia — a consequence of the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadrezzar II. Unlike historic precedents, wherein a defeated and exiled people was absorbed by its host nation and disappeared from the annals of history, this exile was unique. Exiled from their land — with their political system dissolved, their sacred place destroyed and their national language replaced by that of the host culture, the Judaeans are the only people to have survived from antiquity to the present under such conditions. The period of the so-called "Babylonian Exile" appears to have provided critical elements to ensure the survival, not the demise, of this people in diaspora throughout the centuries. This thesis aims to establish the historical authenticity of the exile, to examine the conditions of exile and to uncover the clues or evidence of the elements of change that informed and enabled Jewish survival in Babylonia and, ultimately, the Judaean exiles' return to Judah and statehood. With the enlargement and consolidation of the Babylonian Empire early in the sixth century B.C.E., the Kingdom of Judah faced a period of turmoil and political instability. The defeat of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrian Empire in 722 B.C.E. had provided an ominous example for the Judaeans. Nevertheless, when tested, the political leadership of Judah failed. In the face of imminent national disaster, the extra-institutional figure of the prophet came to the fore to provide the key ingredients necessary for survival — vision and leadership. The prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Second Isaiah - each, in turn - responded to the crisis and, in so doing, transformed and revitalized the Judaeans' national-religious culture by (1) offering the population a rationale for the situation in which they now found themselves; (2) providing the exiled Judaeans with consolation, hope and a vision of the future; and (3) preparing the Judaeans for their national restoration. Together, the books of these prophets serve as the central texts for this paper, affording an exceptional prism through which the period of the exile may be viewed and analyzed. Research methodology includes a survey of historical as well as biblical literary scholarship related to this period and to the three prophetic books. Epigraphic evidence of the period of the Babylonian Captivity is considered herein, such as the Babylonian Chronicles and Lachish Ostraca, as well as other archaeological material evidence. Art historical data is also examined, including materials related to the excavations of the towns that served as the outposts of Judah and, particularly, the excavations of the ancient city of Babylon. The Books of Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Second Isaiah, in juxtaposition with the scholarly research, provide grounding and insight into the question of the survival of the Jewish people through the period of the Babylonian Exile.
Jack Martin Balcer (Advisor)
Samuel A. Meier (Committee Member)
Tamar Rudavsky (Committee Member)
130 p.
Comparative

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Moss, K. S. (2000). The Babylonian exile and the revitalization of a people [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1407406472

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Moss, Karen. The Babylonian exile and the revitalization of a people. 2000. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1407406472.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Moss, Karen. "The Babylonian exile and the revitalization of a people." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2000. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1407406472

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1407406472
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.